Shooting Real Estate Photos on the Panasonic Lumix S5 - Full Equipment, Settings and Workflow

[@pawekalarus5307]

Thanks for that video :)

[@RoryandCasey]

Glad it was helpful!

[@shazbk7616]

You made my day! The best and most user friendly tutorial I have seen on the subject! Thank you! I am subscribed

[@RoryandCasey]

Glad it helped!

[@keith2599]

That was Great... WOW... Brilliant...

[@RoryandCasey]

Glad you found it useful!

[@danielmartin7306]

Super helpful, thank you!

[@RoryandCasey]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mediamannaman]

Thanks so much! Photoshop, and even Lightroom, are such complex programs and my skills are weak. I use the masking in Lightroom, but did not know about some of the techniques you used to line out that door. What a great tool!

[@RoryandCasey]

Happy to help! Sometimes simple is better!

[@savschenk6486]

Try using a circular polarizer for reflections on the flooring! But overall thank you for this video! I love it! Great work!

[@RoryandCasey]

Unfortunately the 14mm saamyang lens can't take circular filters but it's a great idea to cut out reflections!

[@dizz0lv752]

@@RoryandCasey Haida might make an M15 lens mount system for that lens

[@CornerstoneFilmworks]

Super helpful content. Thanks so much!

[@davidcheckley3773]

Hey, do you shoot any handheld photos on the S5 as would be great to see a video on that 👍 great video

[@RoryandCasey]

Not for real estate! But I do a decent amount of photography otherwise. I'll add it to the list!

[@iamchristianconcha]

Good video! Waiting for the videography part :)

[@RoryandCasey]

Thanks for watching!

[@_mannyponce]

Great vid!!!

[@RoryandCasey]

Thanks for watching!

[@Bob-mo6iv]

Great.When the video for real estate? Thanks for this video!

[@RoryandCasey]

Hopefully soon!

[@alex_cossey]

Nice video :) I shoot properties on my S1 and S5 and found that the RAW files have just as much dynamic range (or very similar) to a 7-image HDR merge; this meant I’m taking 6 fewer images per room, can shoot on a monopod instead of a tripod, and don’t have to do the HDR merge step, which as you said, can take a few moments. Wondered what your thoughts on RAW vs HDR merge were. P.S. thanks for the Shift-click tip on the eraser tool, that one will save me a lot of time!

[@RoryandCasey]

I still find a get a nicer end result shooting bracketed JPEGs over raw. I just find that the RAWS don't have enough dynamic range, especially in rooms that have bright windows but aren't as bright inside. I do find that a 3 bracket exposure with RAWS is normally enough to merge but then it takes longer to process and larger file sizes slows the whole process down. So for now I've stuck with 7image jpeg merges. As you can see it's still pretty quick even when having to merge and I'd imagine it'll be crazyfast when my M1 max arrives in a couple of weeks! But if you have a process that is working for you and you're getting good results have at it! I might revisit single raw shots on a shoot this week and see how I go!

[@georgedavall9449]

No

[@RoryandCasey]

7 bracketed JPEGs absolutely have more dynamic range than a single raw shot. Obviously bracketed raws are more range again but then you start to get into some beefy file sizes.

[@Beatsmith2005]

I wish the camera would let us set the stop and number of pictures. I'd be happy with 3 shots but 2 stops apart, but you can't do that - I'd have to set it to 5 shots. Seems like a weird setting to force on us.

[@mediamannaman]

Same problem with my G9. Most HDR real estate photographers who advertise for contract help only require 3 images set two stops apart. It's a minor annoyance but seems so easy to resolve in firmware.

[@dronecologne4249]

Hi, thx for great Video! What tripod for taking photos do you use? Greets, Andy

[@RoryandCasey]

Honestly I switch between whatever I have closest at the time. It doesn’t really matter so long as you can level it out

[@dronecologne4249]

Thx! Is the horizon in S5 not good enough? And Always tripod or even Single stick?

[@RoryandCasey]

The horizon is accurate but you need a ball head to get it level. I always use a tripod

[@seasideshutterworx]

Thank you for this video! Do you do real estate videography?

[@RoryandCasey]

No worries! I do do real estate videography. I'll make a video on my process for that in the future as well.

[@seasideshutterworx]

@@RoryandCasey Awesome I've subbed to your channel! I'm a S5 shooter and would really appreciate some guidance in regards to shooting real estate videos (especially interiors) keep up the good work.

[@fototeknika-rg1lm]

Please tell me if this isn't possible, but is there a way to increase the EV steps by more than 1 at a time?

[@RoryandCasey]

Sorry with bracketing I think that 1 stop is the furthest apart you can go but you can still do it manually.

[@mediamannaman]

If I may ask - do you worry much about Photo Style (STD, NAT, VIVID, etc)? I noticed your camera is set to STD. Mine is brand new and it was set to NAT when I first turned it on. I am also doing real estate photography using the bracketed shots (just JPEG) and HDR. Haven't experimented with it yet but am curious if you have a preference and your thoughts on how important this is to the overall finished image quality.

[@RoryandCasey]

I have actually been shooting Natural a lot lately. For real estate work there's honestly not a lot of difference between Natural and Standard by the time you have done a HDR edit, I've had situations where I've grabbed the wrong S5 body and it was already set to one or the other and I didn't even think about it until I got back home and it honestly makes very little difference for shooting houses. For skin tones with people I really like how the Natural profile handles them.

[@ishanagarwalphotography]

hello I will be shifting from canon 5dmarkii and canon 60D to S5ii kindly suggest a lens for interior photo and video

[@janvidb4377]

How would you recommend to start in real estate photography when you have little to no relevant contact within the real estate industry? I'm thinking of doing a few free gigs but don't know how to get the opportunities

[@RoryandCasey]

I started by offering to shoot some Airbnb houses for free that were nice but didn't have great photos yet to have an initial portfolio of really nice houses then having some professional flyers made offering a big discount for my first two months of operation and then I literally went door to door asking to speak to the agents, showing them the flyer and explaining my offering and showing them what I could do. It was tedious and I got a lot of rejection but the ones who booked me initially appreciated the initiative of getting out there and trying to see people face to face rather than cold calls or emails

[@janvidb4377]

@@RoryandCasey that is a great idea, I might implement that. And how much did you charge in those first jobs and what did you include?

[@cjmurr]

what was that brush command again

[@seasideshutterworx]

Ok so you shot the photos in raw. When do you ad your colour profile? Before you merge them or after?

[@RoryandCasey]

Normally after. I don't do any adjustments before I merge them.

[@tylerjohnson1352]

Has anyone tried the 20-60mm kit lens for real estate photos? I'm wondering if 20mm will be wide enough for me?

[@RoryandCasey]

It's far too tight for my liking. I have shot a couple of houses with it when I was initially waiting for my wide angle and it was just too limiting. I think you need minimum 16mm but preferably wider for real estate

[@eddiedunstonii4786]

This seems so much easier than flambient.

[@RoryandCasey]

It is. The results are slightly different but if you have enough exposures then the differences are minimal. Darker rooms sometimes need a couple of higher exposures as well

[@mediamannaman]

@@RoryandCasey - I know you've moved way beyond this, but if you are inclined, could you please expand on what you mean? If you have 7 exposures, with 3 of them 1, 2, and 3 stops brighter than perfect exposure, are you saying you may need a couple more that are 4 and 5 stops brighter? Or, can you just make a copies of the brightest exposure and submit them to the HDR rendering process with the other 7? I've experimented with this and am interested in better understanding your opinion.

[@RoryandCasey]

@@mediamannaman Definitely. Flambient shooting requires using a flash to expose the room and a shot to expose the windows. My issue with Flambient lighting is that it doesn't accurately represent the shadows you will find in the average room and is also a lot more hassle than it's worth most of the time. Sometimes yes I'll take a couple more photos at 4 or 5 stops brighter than the brightest I've taken but it's pretty rare I need to do that. Most of the time it's when I'm in a dark room like a poorly lit attic or Garage that has a very bright light source like a window or open door and the exposure difference between the brightest and darkest part of the room is extreme. I'll probably only have to do it in maybe 5% of the houses I shoot so it's not a common scenario but it does happen.

[@DonnaScoggins]

Please forgive me but I am new at this. Did the photo bracketing and took the pictures all of the pictures came out dark. What I am I doing correct?

[@RoryandCasey]

You're underexposing the image. Adjust the shutter speed until the exposure meter reads 0 (if they are dark it probably says -3 at the moment) then take the bracketed shot

[@DonnaScoggins]

@@RoryandCasey Thanks!!! I'll try it.

[@creativehubuk5880]

i purchased the sigma lens mount and a samyang af 14mm lens EF. the lens keeps blacking out and keeps freezing my camera . it says in small writing on the converter sigma lenses only. how did you overcome this issue?

[@RoryandCasey]

Is it the fully manual version of the lens? I've not experienced that issue before I'm sorry. It definitely works on all my EF mount lenses, I don't even own any sigma EF lenses anymore. Try cleaning the contact points of the adaptor and lens? It might be making a bad connection or the adaptor might have an issue.

[@xiyangyang1974]

@@RoryandCasey Which adapter do you use to connect the EF lens? Does it support AF and aperture, or is it fully manual?

[@xiyangyang1974]

I bought a passive Minolta MD to L Mount adapter and even for this simple adapter there are copies which simply do not work and give "black" screens, and other copies which do work. Sounds like your adapter has an issue.

[@neilhenderson1766]

Hi - what adapter do you use for canon to l mount

[@RoryandCasey]

I use the sigma one. There are cheaper ones out there now but the sigma was the only one available when I bought the camera.

[@janvidb4377]

is the lumix s5 kit lens 20-60mm f 3.5-5.6 good enough to start?

[@RoryandCasey]

20mm is honestly too tight for almost all real estate work. I've always been a big supporter of investing in the right equipment for the job.

[@janvidb4377]

@@RoryandCasey yeah I imagined. Thanks for answering

[@tylerjohnson1352]

Is it necessary to shoot RAW since JPEG could suffice?

[@RoryandCasey]

For real estate work I think JPEGs are ok if you are bracketing but you'll still retain a lot more information especially in the shadows in raw

[@tylerjohnson1352]

@@RoryandCasey thx for your feedback. I’m sticking with all your suggestions. Got my 16mm Rokinon coming in mail today and I’ll be using raw files. Do you always keep ISO within 100-200? My first shoot with 20mm came out good but I can see why 16mm will be better for sure. Thx again

[@rizzofilms]

Thanks for the video! What lens do you use for real estate jobs?

[@RoryandCasey]

I do every real estate shoot both photo and video with my saamyang 14mm 2.8 (EF mount with adaptor) and my Lumix 24-70 for detail shots.

[@A1Bokeh]

So you don't use a flash?

[@RoryandCasey]

Never in real estate. I hate the look it gives and with this method you shouldn't need it

[@A1Bokeh]

@@RoryandCasey can this be done in aurora hdr ?

[@RoryandCasey]

@@A1Bokeh I'm not sure sorry! I have not used the program, I still do all my HDR merges and edits in lightroom/photoshop